Detroit has introduced a new initiative to save money: eliminate roughly half of its streetlights, leaving citizens in more sparsely populated areas in the dark. The Detroit Newsreports that Mayor Dave Bing’s plan will reduce streetlights from 88,000 to 46,000, saving Detroit $10 million a year. According to Chris Brown, Detroit’s chief operating officer, “You have to identify those neighborhoods where you want to concentrate your population. We’re not going to light distressed areas like we light other areas.”

Residents have been kept in the dark regarding the scandals, bribery, and thievery conducted by elected officials; now that darkness is becoming depressingly literal.